At this time, Alvin Edgar was ISU's Director
of Concerts, but had served as Director of Bands before Frank Piersol came
in 1948. In the late 1960's, Mr. Edgar was a primary booster for
building the proposed Iowa State Center. Before the construction
of
Stephens Auditorium
(1969), the music department had only McKay
Auditorium, the Memorial Union's Sun Room, or the ISU Armory
for special events such as concerts. Mr. Edgar's hard work promoting
brought an amazing lineup of concert talent to the new auditorium.
At this time, Stephens Auditorium was the only portion of the proposed
Iowa State Center which had been built. (Read the unusual story about
checking
coats for the first performance in the new C. Y. Stephens Auditorium.)

A variety of tubas and sousaphones are shown
in this rehearsal view of the Concert Band held in Exhibit Hall.

Bands at ISU

The Iowa State Symphony Band is one of three
concert performing organizations in the University Band program. The Symphony
Band annually performs two formal concerts on campus and participates in
University convocations and other appropriate events. The University Varsity
and Varsity Select Bands are concert performing organizations which present
two programs on campus. Many of the 140 men who are members of the Marching
Band combine with the women instrumentalists to form the three concert
groups. Students from all departments and colleges of the University participate
in the various units -- Marching, Symphony, Varsity, and Pap Bands -- and
earn academic credit while enjoying varied musical experiences and unequalled
opportunities to be of service to the University and the state.

from a 1969 Symphony Band program

The Symphony Band cornet section includes
Barb Needham and Kent Crawford.

It was interesting and fun to finish the
ceiling (when the paid University workers were "way too slow") in Exhibit
Hall on the west side of campus when it was being remodeled.
Students were supposed to stay out of the building and were not allowed
to practice until the workmen were finished putting in a new drop ceiling.
The paid workers were through with the ceiling tile framework, but were
taking
their own sweet time (many days!) to put in the tiles, so several frustrated
Music Majors (tumpet player Jim Buckner, sax player John Paduska, tuba
player Marian Hendrickson, and euphonium player Alan Spohnheimer) stayed
in the building after dark, as they often did for extra evening practice.

The music majors understood about what time
in the evening the normal night-watchman whould insure everyone was out
of Exhibit Hall by checking the door and by peering through the
windows in the door. Because they knew his routine, this evening
the music majors darkened the interior of the building by turning off all
the lights and then hid in the darkness. They waited until the night
watchman finally came by and rattled the door and looked in the window.
The watchman left, satisfied that "all were gone."

The music majors then covered the door windows
with paper, so that turning the lights back to finish the job on wouldn't
be noticed. They then worked to finish the entire job of putting
in the all the ceiling tiles. The speed the hired workers had been
going, this would have taken them about two weeks or so! Frankly,
the toughest tile to get properly in place had to be fitted over a large
eight-inch pipe coming down from the ceiling to the floor. It was
to go through the middle of a ceiling tile. It was a tough job to
make a round hole in the tile and somehow place it over the pipe without
cutting the tile in two. This problem was solved by unfastening this
long pipe where it was patched together down at floor level. The
majors then cut a large (eight-inch) hole in the middle of the tile and
then slipped that hole under the pipe. The fitted tile was then pulled
up towards the ceiling so the tile would rest in its proper place in the
tile framework. This was the masterpiece of the music majors
that night!

When all tiles were finally in place, it was
noticeable that many of the tiles wouldn't sit perfectly flat and level.
Some corners would stick up, from the window tile framework. The
majors decided to solve this awkward problem by quickly going outside to
pick up some rocks. They then placed the rocks over the raised corners
to weight them down. Now all the corners of the tiles would be level and
look just great. It took hours, but the ceiling finally looked perfect!

The entire ceiling of the large bandroom was
finished in a few hours that night! The next day when the slow University
workers showed up to make a bit more slow progress, they were shocked
and really surprised (and were quite astounded) to see the entire ceiling
done! They looked over the finished ceiling and they especially could
not figure out how some
unknown crew was able to put the tiles around
the water pipes without cutting a slice in the tile!

Now the music majors could practice in the
Exhibit
Hall bandroom without the distraction or interuption of the University
workers!

Lunch time at Friley Hall with John Paduska
(sax), Kent Crawford (trumpet)They are wearing their Marching Daddies
t-shirts from the 1971 Sun Bowl trip (see below).

The following images are from the 1971 ISU Bomb.

Associated Press:

The loss was a heartbreaker for Iowa State, which was making it's
bowl debut after 76 years of college football. Fourth year Iowa State
head coach Johnny Majors and his Cyclone football squad lost only three
games in 1971, to Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado, the nation's number
one, two and three teams, respectively. ISU finished 8-3, 17th in
the nation in the final regular season polls and earned their first ever
bowl bid. LSU came into the Sun Bowl with a record of 8-3, ranked
14th in the nation, and with a huge late season win over Notre Dame.
The 1971 LSU defense allowed the fewest yards in the nation. The
game was played before a sellout Sun Bowl crowd and national TV audience.

Fourth year Iowa State head coach Johnny Majors and his Cyclone
football squad lost only three games in 1971, to Nebraska, Oklahoma and
Colorado, the nation's number one, two and three teams, respectively. ISU
finished 8-3, 17th in the nation in the final regular season polls and
earned their first ever bowl bid. LSU came into the Sun Bowl with a record
of 8-3, ranked 14th in the nation, and with a huge late season win over
Notre Dame. The 1971 LSU defense allowed the fewest yards in the nation.
The game was played before a sellout Sun Bowl crowd and national TV audience.

Iowa State refused to quit. The Cyclones, hurt throughout the
game by four lost fumbles and an interception, came back to tighten it
up on a pair of touchdown passes by quarterback Dean Carlson.

ISU Band guys will be noticed often wearing
their 1971 Sun Bowl t-shirts in these photos.This was ISU's first bowl game, held in El
Paso, Texas.ISU's football team was coached by Jonny Majors
and they lost the game to LSU, 33 to 15.

Of course, the IOWA STATE Marching Band was
all
male.That is what the "MARCHIN' DADDIES"
is all about.

Women were "officially" permitted to join the
marching band at Iowa State in 1972.This was part of the national movement for
college bands throughout the United States.

The story that is sometimes heard, is that
there was one surprising season (perhaps in the late 1940s?) when twofemale bell players were reallymarching
band members. But they were always asked to hidetheir gender by tucking their long
"womanly hair" inside their marching band uniform hats.These two fine and brave ladies once surprised
and amazed
their director and the entire stadiumby removing their hats when they bowed, following
a bell feature number in their last half-time show.Yes! Even females can perform and
enliven a football game half-time show!

That's the story we have all heard, but you
can read the personal account of what really happened!See this on Page
D

While several music majors actually paid for
the Friley Hall lunch by living in the dorms,other majors accompanied them and snacked
for free. More Sun Bowl t-shirts are visible.